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Early registration – now through May 31st (Guaranteed a shirt) $99 EDIT: Early registration is now closed.
Standard registration - June 1st through July 21st (Guaranteed a shirt) $139 EDIT: Standard registration is now closed.
Late registration or at the door – July 22nd through the end of the event (no guarantee of a shirt) $159

Guests are free to attend. Generally, guests are family or friends of the people who attend and who may share some interest in lasers or laser shows. However, guests are not laserists themselves. If they are, they should register as attendees and not guests. Please do not abuse this policy.

Teenage children are allowed to attend if they are old enough to follow rules and be responsible. Young children (under 13) are discouraged from attending, and may only attend if they are continually supervised by a parent or guardian. Note that all minors must have a parent present at the event.

Liability waivers (see attached) will be required for all persons (this includes registered attendees and all guests). Minors will need a parent or guardian to sign their waiver. When you arrive, go to the loading dock entrance first and sign your waiver at the sign-in table in the hallway.

Once your waiver is signed, you will be issued a lanyard with a name badge, and if you registered in time (before July 21st) you will receive your official SELEM shirt. (Extra shirts for yourself or your guests are completely optional and may be purchased in advance for $20.)

Also, just a reminder that ABSOLUTELY NO WEAPONS OF ANY KIND, ESPECIALLY FIREARMS, WILL BE PERMITTED AT SELEM. THIS INCLUDES ALL INDOOR SPACES AS WELL AS THE OUTDOOR AREAS SURROUNDING THE AUDITORIUM AND THE SCHOOL. If you have a concealed-carry permit, leave your weapon in your car and don't park it on the auditorium block. The auditorium is under the jurisdiction of the Newton City Police Department and they will be enforcing this policy.

Event schedule:

Tuesday, August 8th: Start at 10 AM, run until 6 PM. Load-in and set-up. We will be setting up 3 spaces again this year: in the Auditorium, the former Cafeteria, and the old Gymnasium. Wednesday, August 9th through Saturday, August 12th: Start at 10 AM, run until Midnight. Typical SELEM activities running all day in multiple areas. Sunday, August 13th: Start at 10 AM, run until 6 PM. Pack-up, load-out, clean-up, and say your goodbye’s.
Sunday night, August 13th: Special event starts at 8:30 PM - Free outdoor concert and laser show on the grounds in front of the Catawba County Museum of History in downtown Newton. Music by the Western Piedmont Symphony Orchestra, and lasers provided by a few select members of PhotonLexicon. (Beams and graphics) This is part of a public outreach campaign I started to raise awareness among the town's leaders as to the impact SELEM has on the community. The hope is to build some goodwill that will keep SELEM affordable for the foreseeable future.

General layout:

Auditorium will be used for running pre-choreographed graphics and abstract shows, along with pre-choreographed multi-projector beam shows. At least one Z-5 analog console will be in here, along with several solid state projectors (for both beams and graphics), a dedicated Kr/Ar mixed-gas whitelight laser with two scan heads for graphics, and possibly a pair of full color ion lasers on stage for beam effects.

Cafeteria area will be the "enthusiast display space", or as I like to call it, the show-off room! The focus will be on home-made projectors, laser modules, and other cool items (including non-laser projects). There may be a space for one or two commercial products to be displayed as well. (Note: this is not a trade show. Any commercial displays are to be low-key and in good taste, in keeping with the hobbyist/enthusiast character of this event, and will be approved on a case-by-case basis.) We will definitely have a Z-5 console in here, and maybe a few other interactive displays too. Some presentations will be done in the cafeteria, especially those that will be more interactive. General projector maintenance should also be performed in this space.

Gymnasium will be used for “Club-SELEM”, and will be dedicated to live beam shows. Open consoles will be available for those who want to try their hand at running a show "live". We may have one or two presentations in this space related to live show control.

Stage area (behind the main curtain) will be the buy / sell / trade area. There may also be some quick projector repair going on here, but most of that should be done either in the cafeteria (for solid state) or the Men's dressing room (for ion lasers requiring 3 phase power and water).

Men's dressing room will be the ion laser work room, as before. Exposed high voltage and high-power beams in this room! Always ask before entering if the door is closed.

Woman’s dressing room will be used for drinks, food, and snacks storage.

Gallery area (lobby) will be used for training and demonstration presentations.

More information concerning the concert Sunday night, as well as details about special presentations and sign-up information for show display time slots will be coming soon. If you have any questions or suggestions, please post them below. And remember, registration is now open. The longer you wait to sign up, the more it costs, so sign up early!

Seeing as I'm not first/second... and that it's been about 4 hours since this was posted... sending money "today" has lost it's luster and importance but yeah... I think I can probably make time in the schedule to be there this year and will be sure to send funds prior to May 31st.
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Small shirt of course.

Payment sent and time off requested! Definitely not missing load in day this year; I'll bring some of the new Lightspace starbursts for the gym (and Kevin will be back too with more tunes). Can't wait!